One Second is All it Takes
by KaiAmazonKnightley
Summary: It's been three years since Max's death, and the flock are still having problems dealing. With a good school and great friends, their life is looking up. Until Fangs' new friend uncovers some... interesting information that may cause their lives to take a sudden, drastic turn. For the worse or for the better? Well, that's the mystery, isn't it? T for violence, no cussing.
1. Nightmares and Confessions

"One Second is All it Takes"

Told by Angel

I scream myself awake. Not two seconds after I start screaming, strong arms wrap around me.

"It's okay, it was just a dream." Fangs soothing voice rushes over me as I breath deeply, practically hyperventilating.

"But it wasn't just a dream. It really happened." My words are cut off by my tears starting to flow.

He realizes what I'm talking about. That day. That terrible day. Sure, it started off good. It became a victory. Then one second... that's all it took... Just one.

The dark tendrils of Fangs mind reach out to me before abruptly cutting off as Fang shields his mind.

I remember everyone's face as Itex went down. The main headquarters. Gone.

_Gazzy and Iggy slap high-fives. Nudge is smiling and laughing. Max with the triumphant look on her face. Even Fang cracking a smile._

"Everything will be okay." Fang whispers, a muffled, dim voice barely piercing the memory.

_"Come on, guys, let's take this back to the house and celebrate!" Max exclaims in triumph as we all rise on our wings, gracefully up from the still-swirling dust and debris._

"No, it won't. 'Cause it really happened. She- she's-" I stutter through my tears.

_Max holds her trophy in the air, high above her head as she flies up, leading us._

"Shh, shh. Everything will work out, Angel. Calm down." Fang whispers.

_Then the bullet comes. Out of no where. Everything slows down as we watch the bullet shoot through the air, finding it's target, ramming itself right through Max.  
_

_"MAX!" Fang's yell mingles with the echoes of the shot fired.  
_

I still remember the scream ripping through my throat, growing until my throat closed, my lungs collapsing from lack of air. My throat hurts again at the memory, my lungs burn.

_Fang catches Max's limp body as the falls ungracefully from the sky. Her whispering her last words as I stand there, frozen. Unable to help. To move. To do anything._

"_She's dead._" I whisper, echoing the words Fang had said._  
_

My lip quivers at the memory. I will it to stop, to cease it's torture, but it just continues on, in full technicolor.

_Fang gently laying Max on the ground before taking off in the direction that the shot was fired from, a streak of black. He never even paused as the rest of us rushed forward to Max. _

_Nudge crying. Iggy staring, unseeing, into oblivion. Gazzy's eyes flicking back and forth between everyone, avoiding looking upon Max's mangled body. And me. Standing there in shock as a single tear makes it's way down my face._

I remember us taking Max's body back to the place where us and all of our few allies were to meet. Dr. Martinez and Ella crying, mourning at the news and sight of Max's death. Then Fang, in the middle of the cold, rainy night a few days later, banging through the door in blood spattered clothes, silently walking past us as if we weren't even there, stony look on his face.

_"Where were you?" Iggy questions in a far off kind of way._

_"They're dead." Fang whispers, not even looking toward us._

_"What?" Iggy asks, not because he didn't hear, but to reiterate._

_That's when Fang finally looks at us, his black gaze piercing, scary._

_"They're gone. Dead." he says louder._

He was talking about the shooter, I now know.

"It was all my fault." I choke out.

"No, no, it wasn't your fault, Angel. Don't ever think that." Fang answers, shaking his head.

I remember the fear that shuddered through me as he said those words.

"But it was! I could have saved her! If only I had been paying more attention! If only I had realized..." I put my face on his shoulder, crying.

_"They'll never bother us again. They were the last." Fang says before turning and stalking into the hall, toward his room._

"Angel, it wasn't your fault. None of us could have known. For all we know, they made it where you couldn't feel their minds..." Fang whispers comfortingly.

I close my eyes and swallow back tears. "Fang?"

"Yes, Angel?"

"What was it Max said to you? The last thing she said?" I knew it might be harsh to ask, but I had to know.

_The next morning, me, walking into Fang's room, seeing him sitting there, in his floor, staring at the walls, shaking his head with the most lost, given up look on his face, murmuring, "Why... Why, Max... why?" over and over._

Fang is silent, still for a few moments, then answers gently, "She told me... She told me to make sure none of you got hurt, and to stay with you guys. To keep us all together. And that she loved us."

I nod. "Thank you, Fang."

He pulls back and looks at me, his eyes asking, "for what?"

I give a small smile. "For comforting me."

I remember how, with that one second, everything changed.

Funny how everything can change, can be turned upside down, with just a single second.

* * *

**Okay, so that was slightly depressing. Even though I'm not known for being the happiest person. Eh. **

**It's a one shot, but, if reviewers want me to, i could turn it into a story. A short one, most likely, but a story, nonetheless.**

**May you keep a strong heart and a steady mind,**

**-KaiAmazonKnightley**


	2. Dealing

**Okay, I have decided to go ahead and follow up with this story. I was thinking about it at school, so I pulled out my journal and started writing. It really just went on from there. I already have four chapters written. I hope you guys enjoy this.**

**OH, yeah. I do not own the Flock(Sadly) or any Maximum Ride characters and/or references. Everything else is mine unless I say so.**

* * *

The Next Morning

Angel POV

I wake to the morning sunlight filtering through my window, into my room. shining onto my face. Silent, I roll out of my loft bed which is about as tall as me, right over the railing. I'm in free fall for a few milliseconds, just long enough for me to wake up fully and for my reflexes to kick in.

I hit the ground lightly and roll, now fully awake.

Talk about a wake up call, right?

I stand, shaking my head to clear it while walking over to my dresser. Skillfully ignoring the picture of Max currently tucked into the mirror sitting on my white dresser, I open my shirt drawer. I throw on the long sleeved white shirt over the dark blue tank top I had worn to sleep. I slip some jeans on, then head out of my room and down the hall, following the smell of breakfast and the thoughts of others.

"Morning, Ange." Iggy says, not bothering to turn from his cooking.

~Good morning, Iggy. Nudge. Gazzy.~ I answer in their heads.

We all have our ways of deal with Max being... gone. Nudge turned to any form of fashion. She makes her own clothes and is always going into pageants, often hiding in her room for days on end trying to perfect her work. Gazzy turned to sports. He plays football, soccer, archery, fencing, basketball, baseball, ect and all of the above. Iggy got even better at science, and makes bombs more than ever before. It seems he's gotten even more insane than he was before. And slightly more irritable. And he just likes anything having to do with mechanics. Fang turned to art. He always has one of his many black sketchbooks with him, but he rarely lets anyone see what in it.

Me? I prefer to speak in peoples minds rather than aloud. If they know of my... Talents, at least. I also love any intellectual challenge, and acting. I love acting. A lot. I write a little as well.

~Where's Fang?~ I as in Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy's heads.

Iggy shrugs and goes back to making breakfast. Gazzy says he doesn't know and goes back to setting the table. Nudge looks up from her makeup.

"I think I saw him going out for a flight. He went East. He left about a half hour ago." Nudge informs me. "He better get back here soon, or he'll miss breakfast and we'll be late for school. I can't wait to go back! I mean, we were only away from school for two weeks for Christmas break, but I missed my friends and can  
't wait to see them again!"

"Yeah, Nudge. It'll be great." I say, then walk out the back door.

In the three years since Max's... accident, we finished saving up for the house she had wanted for and that's where we've been living for two and a half years. The big house is perched on the side of a cliff. With two stories and eight rooms, it's big enough for us and has a lot of room for flying. Out the back door is the porch, which overhangs the cliff face.

I open my pure white wings and lift off, heading toward where Fang usually goes. I see the outcropping and start my decent.

"Hey, Fang." I say, lowering myself to sit beside him, my lags hanging over the edge, dangling over the chasm.

"Hey." Fang answers, closing his sketchbook before I can see what he was drawing.

"Breakfast is ready. And we have to leave for school in thirty minutes."

I know what you're thinking. Why am I not talking to Fang in his head? It probably has something to do with the strong barriers around his mind, as I can with the rest of the flock.

Honestly, I'm kind of glad. The few times the barriers have dropped enough for me to read his mind, I've been crushed with teh darkness and sadness of his mind. I mean, I love Fang and all, he's about the closest thing I have to a dad, but he is one messed up kid. I suppose I can't call him kid anymore, seeing as he'll be eighteen in one month.

Fang nods and stands, stuffing his sketch book and pencil into his, surprise, black back pack. Wow, try saying that ten times fast. Sorry, off track.

He raises his 17 foot span of midnight black wings.

Fang looks down at me with a soft smile on his face. "Come on, Ange."

I smile back and take his hand, knowing that his smiles aren't often. I open my white wings and we both take off, flying back to our house.

-.-' Fang POV '-.-

I fly beside Angel, gliding on updrafts. Within a few minutes, we see the house.

We both land lightly on the balcony and I open the door. Angel walks through the door beside me and I follow her in.

I am greeted by the aroma of bacon, toast, eggs, and rice. Within minutes, I am sitting at the table, the flock and I all eating- devouring, more like- our breakfast.

"Thank you, Iggy!" Gazzy exclaims, scarfing down the last of his food and reaching for seconds.

Max would have loved this. Would have loved seeing the flock so happy and living in a house, going to school. If only she were here. But she's not. She never will be.

No. I can't think like that. It's bad.

I look up at the clock. 7:24.

"'Kay, guys. Time to go." I announce, standing. After taking my plates to the sink, I go to where I had set my bag down before breakfast. Swinging it onto my shoulder while simultaneously fishing for the car keys, I start herding the flock out the door.

"Fang, can I drive today?" Iggy comes up beside me and asks.

"No." I answer immediately.

"Oh, come on-" Iggy starts.

"Hate to break it to you, but you're blind, therefore, no driving." Iggy sighs, giving up.

By this point, we're at the car. Angel, Nudge, and Gazzy get into the back, Iggy in the passengers seat. I slide into the drivers seat and put the key in the ignition.

"Don't forget that I have my driving test this afternoon. I'm so glad I passed my written test, it was so hard! But I'm so excited! I'm going to get my permit!"

Do I even have to tell you that was Nudge?

"Yeah, I know." I answer, mentally reviewing the times and schedule of the day.

We're spared from Nudge's rambling when we pull into the middle school.

"Don't forget my archery practice ends at 5 instead of five thirty today." Gazzy calls back as he gets out of the car.

"Got it." I answer right as the door slams shut.

"You'd think he'd be a little more gentle, right?" Nudge winces as we start driving to the parking lot of the high school, less than a mile away. Right across the road.

I park the car as Nudge jumps out. With an exclamation of, "Ella!" she rushes over to said girl.

"Which do you prefer, slammed door or door left opened?" Iggy turns and asks.

"I don't know, but at least she's not a hypocrite." I mutter, shoving the keys back in my bag and getting out of the car.

Time to face the day.

* * *

O**kay, I thought that'd be a good place to end. **

**May you keep a strong heart and a steady mind,**

**- KaiAmazonKnightley**


	3. Gage

**Sorry for taking so long, guys. If you wish for an explanation, please visit the authors note of chapter 14 in When the Dark Faded...**

* * *

Gage

Fang POV

"Fang?" Iggy asks as we start walking in separate directions.

I stop. "Yes?"

"Uh... Can you read out my schedule to me?" Iggy asks. "I think I switched a few classes..." He adds.

I take his schedule from his outstretched hand and read it out to him quietly.

"Okay. I think I got it." Iggy says, taking his schedule back from my hands. "English, room two-oh-three, History, room two-fifty-four, chemistry, room one-oh-nine..." Iggy repeats his schedule under his breath as he walks away. I shake my head as he runs into Jason. Luckily, Iggy and Jace are friends. I'm worried about Jace's twin sister, Macey. Or Mace, as she prefers to be called. She tends to get easily maddened.

I turn and walk away, glancing at my new schedule. It didn't change much from last semester. Instead of PE I have music. And Miss Romano, the art teacher, had convinced me to switch from study hall to art.

_-Flashback-_

_I'm walking through the halls, silent as usual. Suddenly a kid rushes past me, hitting my arm and knocking my sketchbook out of my hand. The kid cowers in fear, realizing what he'd done. I figure he heard about what happened to the kid that was harassing Nudge... Anyway, he slowly backs away, trying to avoid my gaze as I bend down to pick up my sketchbook. But Miss Romano beats me to it. Luckily, it landed face down._

_Miss Romano turns it over and sees one of the drawings. So much for that whole landing face down thing._

_"Wow, Fang. You're a really good artist." She compliments with a smile on her face as she looks down at the drawing of Max unfurling her wings. "How long have you been drawing?" She asks, curiosity tingeing her voice._

_I glance down, then back up at her. "A few years. Can I have my sketchbook back?"_

_She looks at me and smiles again. "Oh, yeah."_

_I reach out to take it but she keeps her hand firmly gripped on the black hard back sketchbook. "You're one of the best I've seen in years. You should join the advanced art class."_

_I sigh. "Sure."_

_-End Flashback-_

So, that is how I ended up in art. Fun, right?

-_-' Time Skip '-_-

Okay, so maybe art isn't that bad. It really is where the freaks are. Sorry, but it's true. You're either an outcast and a loner, or a popular who wants to slack off. Luckily, there are only about three of those.

And I'm getting ahead of myself. You probably want me to explain.

Let's skip past the first five classes of the day, the annoying girls (failing at) flirting with me, and the guys calling me emo to sixth period. Or, more specifically, art class.

I open the door and am about to walk in when I hear soft, quiet, yet fast and frantic footsteps in the near empty hall. I turn to look where the sound is coming from when a girl about three inches shorter than me comes flying down the hall and hides in the entryway of the art room, where the hall widens slightly,, causing a nook where the doors are.

"They're after me!" She whisper yells, her voice having a slightly frantic tone to it.

"Uh... okay?" I stutter, unsure. She peeks around the corner, sighs, and turns back around.

"Lost 'em." She sighs in relief. The girl then straitens up and turns her brown eyes to me, as if just realizing I'm there.

"Oh. Uh... shall we join the rest of the art class?" She asks in what I assume is her normal voice by the slight deepening from before. She doesn't wait for an answer, just walks in. I quirk an eyebrow, then follow her.

"Hello, students!" Miss Romano greets. "I'm glad you're here. Unless I don't like you. In which case, I'm not glad. Anyway, for those of you who have had me before, you know that you can sit wherever you want and you should already know the rules. For those of you who haven't, I am Miss Romano. I am the art teacher, obviously. Now, let's go over the rules. Please refrain from referring to yourself in the third person. It's not cute, it's annoying and illiterate. Thank you." I think I'm going to like this teacher. "The rest of my rules are that if you respect me, I respect you. Also, it'd be nice if you stayed on topic with your art projects. Keep things school appropriate, please, and follow school rules. but you can listen to your ipod, use your phone, and chew gum. But if you get caught putting your nasty chewed up gum anywhere besides the trashcan, you will scrape it off and clean the entire room with a toothbrush." Miss Romano's voice lowered on the threat, but perked back up to a light, happy, slightly sarcastic tone. "Okay, you have ten seconds to choose a seat, then I'll take attendance."

With that, everyone scrambles to find a seat. I see one in a corner and am about to claim it when a girl slides into the seat before I can. The same girl from a few minutes ago, in fact. Seeing no other seat open besides the rest at this table, I take the one beside her at the four seating table.

As Miss Romano starts taking attendance, I take the chance to examine the room. It's big, about twice the size of regular classrooms. It has black floors and table tops, and a black ceiling, along with white walls. Or what I assume used to be white. The entire room looks like someone decided to splatter paint it. That, or Iggy and Gazzy set off one of their paint bombs. Not fun to clean up, trust me. Anyway, there are paintings on the walls and sculptures sitting on the shelves. They are, admittedly, really good. You can tell most of them were done by the same person, but there's some other work on the walls, too. There are three sinks in the back, big paint bottles and supplies lined up beside them.

"Anna-Mae?" Miss Romano's voice pulls me out of my examinations of the room.

The girl beside me speaks up, sighing, "We've been over this before. Call me by my middle name!"

Miss Romano sends a long suffering glance at the girl. "Whatever, Gage."

"See, now was that so hard, my dear sister?" The girl, Gage, questions.

I feel my eyebrows draw together. Sister?

Gage must see my confusion, because she explains, "She's eight years older than me. She's twenty five. She got married two years ago, two years after she started teaching. Some of her old students still call her Miss Black."

So Gage's full name is Anna-Mae Gage Black. Interesting.

Oh, wow. I feel like a stalker. Anyway.

"Fang Ride?" Miss Romano calls, having had resumed taking attendance.

"Here." I answer.

"Glad you decided to join us. Hailey Peterson?" She continues.

"Fang. That's an interesting name." Gage says, looking at me with her dark brown eyes. I can't help but notice they have green flecks in them.

"What about Gage? I've never heard of a girl named Gage." I retort.

She has a satisfied look on her face. "I think I like you, kid."

"Okay, guys!" Miss Romano starts, stopping me from answering Gage. "For our first assignment, you will have until next Friday to complete a monochromatic painting. Monochromatic is where you only use one color and shades of that color. So you'd mix the color you choose, blue, for example, with white and black. You can have the subject be whatever you like, as long as it's school appropriate." Someone raises their hand. "Yes, Bryce?" Miss Romano inquires timidly.

"So does that mean we can do-"

"No. I do not even want to think of what your twisted, perverted little mind thought up now. No. Just... no." By the end of the rant, half of the class is laughing, including Bryce himself. Hm. Reminds me of Iggy. Perverted and loud.

Gage rolls her eyes, muttering, "Looks like even at the new school I won't be able to escape the perverts."

"New School?" I ask.

"Yeah, this is my first day here. We recently moved here from Bauxite, Arkansas. To be closer to my sister and brother-in-law. And before you ask, most of the romours about Arkansas are not true. We are not all hillbilly's who know not a thing about grammar and have no shoes."

I chuckle slightly. "I'll take your word for it."

Miss Romano then claps her hands, drawing everyone from their own musings. "If any of you want some examples of monochromatic paintings, please refer to the pictures posted on the board. 'Kay, guys. have fun, don't hurt each other."

"Well, this should be interesting." Gage mutters, pulling her sketchbook out of her black messenger bag.

I take her lead and get my sketchbook out.

Hm... what could I draw for the project?

i glance over at Gage's sketchbook and see it opened to a drawing of a girl holding a sword out in front of her, fierce look on her face. But that's not what draws my attention.

The girl has wings.

* * *

**Okay, mini-cliffhanger for you there. Hope you enjoyed!  
**

**-KaiAmazonKnightley**


	4. Friends

Chapter Four

Friends

Iggy POV

"Iggy! Hey, man!" I'm greeted by Jason. The first friend I ever had at this school.

_-Flashback-_

_I'm walking blindly though the halls. Literally. I was walking with Fang, but then a horde of kids came and then that good-for-nothing emo loner left me. Me!_

_That's when someone rams into me._

_Whoa! Watch out! blind kid walking here!_

_"What are you, blind?!" The jerk who ran into me exclaims._

_Did you not just hear my inner ramblings?_

_"Yes." I answer in all seriousness, staring at where it sounds like the voice came from. Down and slightly to the left. Big, though. Definitely._

_"Oh, so we got a smart Alec, huh?" The jerk says. Check that. Sneers._

_Then someone else walks up. "Yo, Cory. Cut him some slack, he's new here."_

_"Whatever, Jason." The jerk, Cory, apparently, walks away._

_Yeah, you better run! I was about to go all bird kid crazy on you!_

_"Uh, thanks." I say awkwardly._

_"No prob, man. You look a little lost. What's your first class?"_

_"Uh.." What was it? Oh, yeah! "Algebra II."_

_"Cool, I have the same. So, are you the blind guy they said was joining our humble abode better known as Siloman High?"_

_"Yeah." _

_"Awesome." He answers, surprising me. "Oh, and dude?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"My eyes aren't attached to my shoulders."_

_-End Flashback-_

We met two years ago and have been best friends ever since. Jason's nickname is Jace and his twin sister, Macey, goes by Mace. Jace and Mace. Interesting, right?

Anyway.

Just then, Mace decides to speak up. "Yo, Ig. Your girlfriend's coming."

Sure enough, I hear Ella's light footsteps right before her thin arms wrap around my torso in a hug. "Hey, Iggy!"

"Hello, Ella." I answer as I hug her back.

"Where's your schedule?" Ella inquires excitedly. I fish around in my pocket and pull it out. (Hey, you in the back! No perverted comments. That's my job. I mean, what?) I'm about to hand it to Ella when she snatches it from my hand. Okay, then. Sure, take it from the blind guy. What evs.

Oh, gosh. Did I really just think that? I need to stop hanging out with Nudge. I mean, what _evs_, really? That's not even a real word! It's the shortened version of a word! It should be ashamed of itself!

But then again, I am Iggy, and I can get away with things like that. So HAH!

Wait. Did I seriously just have an argument with myself? Oi. Sometimes I worry about my mental state.

Anyway, after stealing- I mean gratefully accepting- my schedule, she compares it to hers. At least, that's what I assume she's doing, what with the sound of rustling of paper and... stuff. Okay, awkward.

My suspicions are confirmed when she informs me, "WE have first, fourth, and fifth period together." She takes my hand. "Come on, let's get to class."

Mace shudders. "Couples."

I turn around to face her. "Oh, you're just jealous."

Silence. Then:

Laughter. "Oh, good one... You're hilarious!" Mace chokes out between laughter. I scowl in her general direction. She stops abruptly. "Oh. You were serious. Eh, still funny."

And for a second there she sounded apologetic. Sigh. My life.

"I'm not sure if I should be offended or not." Ella says.

"I- I'm hurt, Mace. That hurts." I point to my heart. "Right here. Right here." I whisper dramatically.

Jace laughs, and I imagine Mace to be rolling her eyes. "Come on, drama queen." Now I imagine Jace, the one who spoke not two seconds ago, rolling his eyes as well.

"Wha-?" I stutter. "I- I m outraged. I most definitely am _not_ a drama queen!" I exclaim. "If anything, I'm a drama king." I add in a mock snide voice. "Now, I be leaving, in a huff!" I practically shout.

"I'm rolling my eyes, Ig." All three of my beloved (sarcasm, don't tell Ella) friends chime at once. As in, simultaneously.

Insert mental shudder. Is that even possible? To shudder mentally? Oh, well, if it isn't, I just proved the laws of physics wrong. Okay, so that probably doesn't fall under the laws of physics, but whatever. And shouldn't a wormhole randomly rip through the fabric of space about now? Or... uh... fabric of air? Okay. I'm just confusing myself. Enough of my Iggy ramblings. Oh, I just noticed I didn't say what evs this time! Point for Iggy! Whoo! Why am I referring to Iggy in the third person? Who knows! I mean... referring to myself in the third person. In my head. Yeah, I'm confused again. And I thought I told myself this was the end of my inner ramblings! Oh, well.

"Okay, that's just creepy. I'd imagine it from the twins, but you too, Ella?"

"Come on, we're going to be late for class." Ella informs me as she clasps my arm and drags me toward our first class. Or I assume it's out first class. Oh, yeah. We turned down the right hall. Why am I slightly disappointed?

You know what, don't answer that. Again, I'm the perverted one. No one else. Okay. Just wanted to clear that up.

Sigh. We're off to see the classroom, the horrible classroom of- You know what, nothing would fit there.

Oh, wait. School fits there.

We're off to see the classroom, the horrible classroom of school!

Wait. I'm blind.

Stupid racist song!

* * *

**There you go. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz song is racist, according to Iggy.  
**

**I thought you guys might want a bit of comic relief. In an entire chapter! And from Iggy's point of View! Yay!**

**Okay, so I'm actually supposed to be typing up a report for science, but, to quote the Great *cough*not*Cough* Iggy and His Inner Ramblings, oh, well. **

**I really should get back to that. It's due this Friday...**

**So I'm going to post this really quick, then get back to that. Sadly. **

**May you keep a strong heart and a steady mind,**

**-KaiAmazonKnightley**


	5. My Favorite Game

Chapter Five

My Favorite Game

Angel POV

I walk into my first period class, scanning the room for an open seat. I should be in fifth grade, but I'm "just so smart" that they bumped me up two grades to seventh grade. Same as Gazzy, much to his dislike. So I am a 10 year old with a bunch of 12 and 13 year olds. Fun, Right?

But I'm as tall as most of the girls, much to their dislike, so I'm good.

I see Gazzy talking to a girl and think about tuning into their conversation. The warning look Gazzy shoots my way is enough to deter me. I'll just ask him later. Instead I make my way to a seat in the back like the good little sister I am.

Okay, okay, laugh all you want. But, yeah. That was mostly sarcasm.

So there I am, sitting in the back, minding my own business(as if), waiting for class to start, when a guy comes and stands in front of me. I'm pretty sure he's trying to look menacing, but I've seen one of Fang's glares. Nothing scares me anymore.

"Yo, pipsqueak. This is my seat." The guy says.

Ooh! My favorite game!

I fight the evil grin wanting to make an appearance on my face as I answer, "Your point?" in the calmest voice I can muster through all my excitement.

What? 'I'm totally not evil' said no one ever.

He glares at me with dark blue eyes. "I've sat here every day since I've been in this class."

I give him my sweetest smile and retort, "Which has been how long, two, three years?"

Oh, yeah. I said it. Burn.

Angel: 1. Idiot Who Got in a Comeback Fight with Me: 0

"Move freak!" He says when he can't think of anything else.

My anger rises slightly and I force it back down. "Excuse me, but I am quite obviously sitting her, and you aren't. Therefore, the seat is mine."

The boy slams a meaty hand on the desk. I'm assuming he's trying to scare me, but I don't even flinch. "I've sat here the entire year. Technically it's my seat."

"Oh? You mean the last four years you've repeated this grade? And _technically,_ the seat belongs to the school." I retort, trying not to smile in triumph as his face turns red in rage.

"Why you little-" He starts, lunging forward.

Suddenly, another guy is in front of me, holding his hand out to stop the jerk.

"Dude, are you crazy? She has three older brothers, and can hold her own in a fight." The other guy says, blonde hair covering the top of his brown eyes.

"Your point?" The jerk retorts, but his fire is slowly fading to fear.

"You familiar with the name Ride?"

The jerks face pales, but he rolls his eyes and stalks away to find another seat.

"Thanks, Zeke." I say, smiling as he takes a seat beside me.

"Anything for you, Ange." Okay, I'll admit, I was fighting a blush at those words. "But we all know you don't need to get into more trouble. Devious pranks and manipulation are enough, but having to explain why the guy who was harassing you suddenly started beating himself up is another thing."

Yes, Zeke, my best friend as of two years, knows about my... talents, per sé.

"What would you say, 'Oh, he was just so ashamed at what he'd done. He couldn't help but cause harm to himself. certainly not because I used creepy mind control powers on him! Oh, not at all!'" Zeke's voice gets considerably higher at that part, then he snorts. "Yeah, _that'd_ be fun to see. Though, knowing you, you'd be able to get away with it."

"Oh, yeah." I say, laughing.

"Oh, wait. I probably shouldn't have said that. Don't want to give you any ideas." Zeke jokes.

I smile deviously, "Oh, too late for that."

I was going to add an evil laugh I learned from Iggy and Gazzy, but I'm cut off by a girl bursting into the room, foot crossing the threshold right as the bell rings, as if to punctuate her arrival. Slightly frenzied, she spots the empty seat to my left and runs over, sliding behind the desk just as the annoying buzz of the bell fades into oblivion. (How's that for bird kid poetry, huh?)

Enter, Lindzey.

"Hey, Lindz." Zeke says smoothly. "Cutting it kinda close, don't you think?"

Lindzey shoots him a glare that could kill, her dark brown eyes flashing venomously. "You think? That's surprising." Then she sticks out her tongue at Zeke. The act is so childish that he just laughs and shakes his head. Lindzey smiles, her dark brown- almost black- ringlets framing her pretty face.

"Good morning, students." Out teacher says. Miss Haddie. "I hope you like where you're sitting, 'cause you'll be there for a long time."

Jerk turns around and glares at me. I smile sweetly and wave.

Lindzey raises an eyebrow at the odd gesture. I quickly find my way into her head, just enough to project thoughts.

_~Jerk over there harassed me about this seat.~_ I explain. The nice thing about being a mind reader is that we never get caught passing notes.

_Oh. How'd you get him to leave you alone?_ Lindzey thinks.

I glance at Zeke, who looks rather bored, the fringes of his long blonde hair falling into his eyes. _~Zeke helped me. He warned Jerk that I have three older brothers and can fight myself.~_ I elaborate.

O_kay then. So... no revenge?_ Lindz asks. Yes. In order to be my friend, you must be just as devious as me. Lindzey may seem all sweet and nice and caring, but she has an evil, conniving, clever mind.

Kind of like me.

_~Sadly.~_

* * *

**Okay, kind of fillerish, like the last one, but, oh, well. You can get over it, right?_  
_**

**May you keep a strong heart and a steady mind, **

**-KaiAmazonKnightley**


	6. Conversations in the Art Room

Chapter Six

Conversations of the Art Room

Fang POV

Gage noticed me looking at her sketchbook. "Oh... Uh... I- I'm not very good."

A smirk creeps onto my face. "No, it's good."

And it's true. The girl in the picture looks like she could fly right off the page and into the air, fighting anyone who dares cross her path.

"Wow. A smile and three words? Well, it was more of a smirk, but anyway. Who are you and what have you done with the real Fang?" Gage jokes.

"He's Tooth, his not-so-evil twin brother." I look up at the guy who spoke. He slides into the chair across from me. "I thought you said you didn't want to be in art."

"Eh, Miss Romano convinced me. That, and Angel wouldn't leave me alone about it." I answer.

"Well, it's good to have you here, man. So, who's your lady friend?" Lao turns his attention to Gage.

"His 'lady friend' can speak for herself. I'm Gage." She says, rolling her eyes.

"Well, Gage, I'm Lao. Nice to meet you." He smiles brightly at her.

"No, you're late."

He freezes. I smirk and hold back laughter.

"So, mister Castelare? You're excuse?" Miss Romano says from behind him.

Lao slowly turns to face her in his seat. "Why, Miss Romano. Fancy meeting you here." He stands and bows at the waist. "My condolences, you see, I was on my way here, when suddenly, a herd of llama's came out of nowhere and attacked me. I ran all over the campus until losing them in the forest and came here immediately."

Sometimes I wonder why Lao is my friend and not Iggy's. Their exactly alike, in personality at least.

Silence. Then Gage, Miss Romano, and Lao burst into laughter, me even chuckling a little.

"Okay, I'll let it slide, only because it's the first day of the semester and I've never heard that excuse before." Miss Romano laughs.

Lao sits down looking relieved as Miss Romano makes her way back to her desk.

"Anyway, I like your name, Gage." Lao starts conversationally.

"Lao? Like Leo, only with an a?" Gage asks.

He nods. "Exactly. So I guess this is the table for those with weird names." He jokes.

"No. Unique names..." Gage starts seriously with a hint of berating steel in her voice. "Weird is resigned for those who- who-" She starts laughing. "Okay, yeah. I'm a freak, you're weird, and you..." She turns to me. "I don't know about you."

Well, she's not far from the truth in me being a freak. With that thought, I pull my wings impossibly tighter to my back.

"So... what are you going to paint for this assignment?" Gage asks.

"Monochromatic, huh? I was thinking of drawing an old set of armour in a castle room. Maybe blue for the color? Blue-gray?" Lao says. He pulls out his sketchbook, revealing drawings with rough edges, sharp, rather than the soft, organic lines that flow together in Gage's sketchbook.

Gage turns to me. "what about you?"

I shrug.

Gage gives a half smile and says, "I think I'm going to paint a pair of wings."

Okay, now I'm curious. "You really like wings, don't you?" The question is out of my mouth before I can think it through. And I'm known for over-thinking things.

Gage looks at me and smiles sheepishly, her face lighting up. "Well, actually, I do. I think it would be amazing to have wings and fly," She sighs. "No wonder everyone tells me to get my head out of the clouds. Having wings would be impossible. It's stupid, I know. I just think it'd be cool to fly, you know?"

Oh, if only she knew.

"It's not stupid." I blurt. Gah, I need to get my mouth under control.

"What?" Gage asks, as if surprised by my words.

"You're dream isn't stupid." I repeat.

"Maybe not stupid, but impossible? Yes." Lao states.

Like he knows anything. I think.

The want to show Gage my wings suddenly flashes through me out of nowhere. I quickly force the thought out of my mind, mentally hitting myself. Repeatedly. I just met this girl! I have no clue whether she's trust worthy or not.

Yeah, I can imagine it now. "Hey, guys! I just showed a random girl I literally just met my wings, even aft4er making Iggy wait six months to tell his best friend who we knew was trustworthy. Don't be mad or anything!"

Yeah. That'd go down well.

Oh, gosh. I sound like Max.

Max. I feel a pang at the name. I have to fight against the onslaught of numerous memories as they threaten to consume me.

"Hello?" Gage says, waving her hand in front of my face. I slide my eyes to look at her. "Did you decide to take a ride on your train of thought and forgot to get off?"

The oddness of the phrase makes me raise an eyebrow.

"The romours are true. You don't talk much, do you?"

As if to confirm it, I stay quiet.

"I just think he's deaf. Or partially mute. Or stupid." Lao butts in.

I glare at him.

"Okay, so you aren't deaf." He averts his gaze. "Or stupid. You might be partially mute, though."

"When there's something to say, I'll say it." I explain calmly.

"A full sentence? I'm starting to think you really are Fangs long lost twin brother." Lao jokes.

I roll my eyes and go back to drawing, Lao and Gage resuming conversation.

After awhile, Gage leans over to me.

"You never said what you were going to draw from the monochromatic painting." Gage points out.

"Don't know." I shrug.

"Back to half sentences, huh?"

"Sure."

"And one word answers, apparently." Gage shifts in her seat and continues working on her drawing.

I'm about to be lost in the world of artists when the bell rings, shrill and annoying as ever.

Here we go.

* * *

**You know, you guys are lucky that I'm able to get on the computer without being interrupted every five seconds lately.  
**

**May you keep a strong heart and a steady mind,**

**-KaiAmazonKnightley**


	7. Music

Chapter Seven

Music

Fang POV

I resist the urge to groan at the bell and start packing my stuff up. Beside me, Gage checks her schedule while simultaneously shoving everything into her messenger bag.

"Ah, vultures." She mutters under her breath.

"What?" I ask.

Her head snaps up to look at me. "Oh. I, uh... never mind." She splutters for a few seconds. "I forgot where the music room is..." she explains at my look that says, 'go on.'

I give her a half smile. "I'll show you." I stuff my sketchbook into my bag and walk out, Gage trailing me.

"So... do you have music next as well?" Gage asks, flipping her bangs out of her eyes from where they peek out from under her baggy black beanie.

Oh, wow. Talk about alliteration. Try saying that ten times fast. Baggy black beanie, baggy black beanie, baggy black- you know what? It's actually not that hard. Never mind. Forget I said- er, thought- anything.

"Yeah. My little sister made me sign up for it." I answer. Why did I say that?

"She used the Bambi eyes, didn't she?" Gage asks in a knowing tone.

"Yep."

"Those horrid eyes will be the death of me. Pure evil." Gage jokes.

"You have siblings?"

"Four younger siblings, one older. You already met her, though." Gage replies, dodging random people in the hall way.

"What are you in music for?" I ask in a conversational tone, leading Gage down the stairs of the Fine Arts building. First floor is anything and everything music related, second art related, including a mini art museum, and third is creative things. Drama is the building right beside this one, a sky bridge adjoining the two Fine Arts buildings.

"I play violin." Gage responds offhandedly.

"Didn't know we even had violin." I comment, opening the door for Gage.

As she walks through, she replies, "I'm the only one so far."

I nod. Then notice something.

I just had a full conversation with someone I just met today. And it wasn't one of the kids' friends or a bunch of threats.

Nudge would say that I'm making progress.

We walk into the music room, the teacher smiling from her place at the front.

"Well, hello, there. Since you're the first few, go ahead and choose your seat." The woman says as she pulled blonde hair into a ponytail. "Oh, and your violin in int he instrument closet. Feel free to go get it." She addresses Gage.

Gage nods and heads toward the back.

"Does everyone know you?" I ask jokingly as I lean in the threshold of the closet.

"No," Gage begins, swinging a small violin case on her back. "We met this morning when I was getting a tour of the school and dropping my violin off." She explains before striding past me to a seat in the back of the room. She unzips the case and opens it almost reverently to reveal a white violin with a black design on it. The lines of the design swirls and dance around each other, a complicated and elegant design.

One word: Wow.

"I'm going to take the slight widening of your eyes to mean that you are now in awe." Gage says, smirk planted on her face. She unstraps the violin and takes it out, running a hand along it. "This," She starts, holding out the violin, "Is my baby. Also known as Alitameloscalith. It means noble sorrowful song of the violin. Lita, for short. Creative, I know." Yeah. Read that name again really slowly. You might understand it then. Might.

By this point, people have started to file into the room, talking loudly as they attempt to find a seat. A few people(more like half the class) notice Gage and I talking and give us weird looks, as if to say, "Why does the new girl have a violin, and why is she talking to Fang?"

"Okay, students, find a seat and sit do-" The music teacher is cut off by the blaring bell. An annoyed look crosses her face as she closes her mouth, waiting for it to end. "Anyway, you get the gist. My name is Mrs. Smith, you music teacher. Now, if you play a wind instrument or are looking to play one, you're in the wrong place. That's across the hall." At this, a few kids stand up, embarrassed, and make their way out of the room. "Okay, now all of you play or are looking to play stringed instruments, right?" Everyone nods, more or less. "Good. My rules are simple. No gum, keep things school appropriate, only use your technological devices when I allow it, and don't injure anyone. Got it?"

Nods of consent all around the room.

"Now, some of you may have not decided what you want to learn to play yet. Some of you have. I will be teaching guitar, piano, and, now, cello. Our new student, who plays violin, has agreed to teach up to four people violin. Gage, come introduce yourself."

Gage rises and strides to the front of the room, her white violin and bow contrasting against her mostly black clothing. She offers a small smile. "Hey, guys. My name's Gage."

Mrs. Smith is about to ask something when the door bursts open, and Iggy's tall frame fills the doorway.

"Well, someone's late." Mrs. Smith comments.

"I know, I know, but it's hard not to get lost when your blind. Wait. This is the music room, right?"

Yeah. I guess I forgot to mention that Nudge and Angel used to Bambi eyes to get Iggy in music too. I'm not really sure how it works on him, but he claims he can _feel_ it. I find that slightly creepy.

"Yes, it is. And you are?" Mrs Smith asks, holding out her hand. She must not have cached the blind part of Iggy's excuse. That, or thought it was a joke.

"Iggy Ride."

"Ah." Mrs. Smith retracts her hand. "You're my blind student." She looks at the class. "There's an empty seat in the back..."

I stand up and walk toward the front.

"Come on, Ig," I say, then turn and start walking to the back. Iggy follows close behind, then plops down into the seat beside me. "My guess is that Angel made you join." I state more than ask in an undertone.

Iggy nods. "Remind me again why her name is Angel?"

I chuckle quietly and return my attention to the front.

"How long have you been playing violin?"

"I started teaching myself when I was seven. When I was nine, I got an instructor that taught me notes and what I hadn't previously taught myself. by the time I was twelve, my instructor quit, saying there was nothing more for me to learn." Gage explains, shifting positions, looking slightly uneased behind a relaxed, laid back facade. What would make her nervous? Better yet, what would make her so good at hiding it?

I'm barley even started on unraveling the mystery of Anna-Mae Gage Black...

* * *

**I was originally planning on this chapter being longer, but felt that this was a good place to leave off. **

**Ooh, what is Gage's secret, hmm?**

**May you keep a strong heart and a steady mind,**

**-KaiAmazonKnightley**


	8. Cliché

Chapter Eight

Cliché

Fang POV

"Would you like to play for us, Gage?" Mrs. Smith asks, smiling.

A guy a few rows ahead of me snickers at Gage's "Uh..." And I get the sudden urge to hit them. Where did that come from?

"Sure." Gage quickly recovers from her moments hesitation, wall repaired. Taking a deep breath, she brings the violin up to rest on her collar bone positions the bow to hover above the strings. It's then, eyes closed, she begins to play, melodious, peaceful, yet oddly sorrowful notes resounding through the room. Cue jaws hitting the ground. Including Jerk #1 who, I do believe, laughed at her not thirty seconds ago. As the last note fades into oblivion a few minutes of bowing later, it's as if the entire class is waking from a spell. Gage looks down sheepishly. "I haven't played for awhile, so it's pretty bad..."

"No, no... it's good. Amazing." Mrs. Smith assures, still slightly dazed. Gage offers a small smile in return and heads back to her seat.

She gently sets the violin back in the case, then twists a knob at the bottom on the bow before adding that to the case. "It loosens the hair of the bow, so that it doesn't damage it." Gage answers my unspoken question.

"Okay, then." I answer. She's perceptive, I'll give her that.

After attempting (and failing) to pay attention to Mrs. Smith, I go ahead and let my mind wander. I think about how simple it'd be to escape, just jump out the window and fly away. I think about what the rest of the flock might be doing at this moment in time. I think about how Angel convinced both Iggy and I to learn to play an instrument, landing us here. I think about how Dylan and Maya left, feeling that they wouldn't be accepted with Max... gone. I think about how Ratchet, Holden, Star, and Kate are living a few minutes away from us, all taking care of their own groups of hybrids that were rescued from the school.

I think about Max. Always about Max. She'll never go forgotten. The constant pain of her not being here with me plagues me to this very day, three years after the fact.

But I also think about Gage.

She so much like Max, but different, at the same time. With brunette hair and red, blonde, and black sunstreaks. But Gage's hair is darker, more red than blonde, more dark brown than either of the two, unlike Max's light brown hair. They both have brown eyes, but Gages have green flecks hidden within them, though they can't be considered hazel. Max's eyes, on the other hand... Oh, Max's eyes. Such a deep, beautiful brown. They didn't have any green in them. They had a look to them that spoke of many sorrows, a kindness underneath, a great malice, fierceness. Gage's eyes have a wisdom within them, an understanding of the world seen by very few. Another mystery, another secret to unlock. Max and Gage are both tall, both skinny. Both have small noses, slightly thin lips, high cheekbones, and square jaws. Gage's nose is straighter to the slightest, her jaw more squared, more defined.

Their personalities are alike as well, that much I've been able to gather. Both sarcastic beyond all reason. Stubborn. Paranoid. Neither like attention, as Gage just confirmed. Both love to fly, or, in Gage's case, would love to. But Gage is darker than Max. Though both are secretive, Gage loves to confuse people. Get into their heads and practically drive them insane. She's certainly done that now. Anyway, back to my inner ramblings of Max and Gage.

I look over to Gage. her right ankle is resting on her left knee, journal balanced precariously on her leg, writing. Black hightops, black skinny jeans, black jacket with a white and grey design on it. She's definitely darker than Max ever was.

"Okay, guys." Mrs. Smith's words bring me out of my own little world. "How many of you already play a stringed instrument? ... That's about half the class... So, everyone get a partner. Someone who plays with someone who doesn't."

There is shuffling, locking of arms, people moving about and talking. Jace sits beside Iggy, and they start talking. Traitor. A few girls lock eyes on me and start to head in my direction. Okay. I'll admit it. I panicked a little. My eyes flit from person to person, my face carefully blank. One of the girls, a short blonde, opens her mouth to ask me to be her partner, I assume, when Gage turns to me and asks, "Partners? You're the only person I know here besides Lao..."

Well, she's better than one of _them. _"Sure."

At my response, all of the other girls give Gage glares. Sure, they're weak, but still.

Gage just rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to Mrs. Smith, who has started speaking. "I hope you like whoever you're paired with, because that's the person you'll be doing all projects for me with. Now, I know a lot of you will say something about this being lame, but first we're going to be song-writing. One person from your group will get a word out of-" She shakes a container will small slips of paper in it. "-This. Over the course of the next week and a half, we will be learning about song writing methods. So, you and your partner will write a song centering around whatever word is on the paper you get. You have until next Wednesday."

Oh. Fun.

"Wow. I feel like I just got thrown into some cliché book." Gage mutters beside me, standing and joining the steady stream of teen going to the front.

"So... Ella said that Dr. M wants us to come over for dinner tonight." Iggy informs me.

I sigh. So much to do today. I run through my mental schedule.

3:15- Get out of school and pick up Angel and the Gasman

3:30- Drop Gazzy off at his archery practice

3:50- Take Nudge to driving test

4:00- Get home and eat

5:05- Leave to get Nudge

5:30- Pick Gazzy up from archery practice

6:00- Catch Iggy and Gazzy making _another_ bomb

6:45- Leave for Dr. M's

And yes, I do have to add catching Iggy and Gazzy making a bomb. It's a tradition.

Gage sits back down and reads the paper out loud. "'Secrets.' What the mess is that supposed to mean?"

Oh, the irony. "That we write a song about a secret?" I deadpan.

Gage rolls her eyes. "You don't say? Well, thank you, Captain Obvious. I think you left your ship down in the sea of 'Duh.'"

"Well, we can discuss my obviousness later." Right at the end of my sentence, the bell rings, signaling the end of school.

"Wow. You're good." Gage comments, swinging her bag on her shoulder.

I just grab my own backpack when I think of something. "Who were you hiding from, before art?" I question Gage.

Confusion flashes through her eyes before she remembers. "Oh. One of my siblings." She answers, annoyance in her tone.

I nod, not fully convinced, but decide to let it go. For now.

"Bye." She tosses over her shoulder, swinging her violin on her back before walking out the door.


End file.
